11 Legendary Synths That Have Inspired The Music Community

a wall of synthesizers in a home studio

11 Legendary Synths That Have Inspired The Music Community

A list of the most inspiring synthesizers developed in the last 50 years — from mono-synths to pocket synths

There have been steady and remarkable developments made in sound synthesis in the past 50 years and picking a list of 11 was no easy task.

Synthesizers have been around since the late 60’s and have ranged from refrigerator-sized modulars to pocket sized samplers.  This list reflects on some synths that have ben a seemingly endless inspiration to artists across genres and decades since.

1. EMS VCS3

Year Released: 1969

Original Price: £330 + £150 for the keyboard

Current Price: $24,646 USD

Signature sound profile: Often used to modulate a common instrument sound like a flute, or keyed instrument. As heard on Roxy Music and Kraftwerk, or The Who’s “Won’t Get Fooled Again”

Iconic Song Examples:

Roxy Music - Ladytron

The Who - Won’t Get Fooled Again

Pink Floyd - On The Run

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2. Minimoog

Year Released: 1970

Original Price: $1595 USD

Current Price: $10,817 USD

Signature sound profile: Warm analog synth bass, lead and whistle sounds

Iconic Song Examples:

Donna Summer - I Feel Love

Snoop Dogg - Gin And Juice

Kraftwerk - The Model

Parliament - Flashlight

Sun Ra - Space Probe

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3. Arp 2600

Year Released: 1971

Original Price: $2600 USD

Current Price: $13,961 USD

Signature sound profile: Sound design, percussive, bass sequences, complex modulation

Iconic Song Examples:

Depeche Mode - Enjoy The Silence

Joy Division - She’s Lost Control

Edgar Winter Group - Frankenstein

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4. Yamaha CS80

Year Released: 1977

Original Price: $6900 USD

Current Price: $67,764 USD

Signature sound profile: Wide analog strings, brass, drones and pads with ultra natural detuning sounds.

Iconic Song Examples:

Michael Jackson - Thriller

Toto - Africa

Loverboy - Turn Me Loose

Bruce Springsteen - Dancing In The Dark

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5. Prophet-5

Year Released: 1978

Original Price: $3995 USD

Current Price: $10,662 USD

Signature sound profile: great string sounds, analog effects, and punchy analog basses

Iconic Song Examples:

Hall & Oates- I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do)

Radiohead - Everything In Its Right Place

Madonna - Like A Virgin

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6. Oberheim OB-xa

Year Released: 1980

Original Price: $4595 USD

Current Price: $12,544 USD

Signature sound profile: Lush polyphonic chords. Thick analog pads and drones, punchy bass and cyclic analog effects.

Iconic Song Examples:

Rush - Tom Sawyer

Van Halen - Jump

Prince - 1999

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7. Roland Jupiter-8

Year Released: 1982

Original Price: $5295 USD

Current Price: $31,190 USD

Signature sound profile: unique voice architecture. No other synths in the world can create analog sounds like the ones found on the Jupiter-8.

Iconic Song Examples:

Duran Duran - Hungry Like The Wolf

Talk Talk - It’s My Life

Queen - Radio Gaga

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8. Roland TB-303

Year Released: 1982

Original Price: $395 USD

Current Price: $4,069 CAD

Signature sound profile: The 303 can behave like lead guitars doing a blistering and acrobatic solo. These things live to entrance you with dizzying hooks, often with a throaty sound common place in acid techno music soaked in distortion.

Iconic Song Examples:

Daft Punk - Da Funk

New Order - Confusion (Pump Panel Remix)

Aaliyah - Try Again

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9. Fairlight Series 2

Year Released: 1982

Original Price: £30,000

Current Price: $13,224 USD

Signature sound profile: It was one of the earliest music workstations with an embedded sampler, and is credited for coining the term “sampling” in music. It rose to prominence in the early 1980s and competed with the Synclavier from New England Digital.

Iconic Song Examples:

Tears For Fears - “Shout”

Frankie Goes To Hollywood - “Relax”

Herbie Hancock - “Rockit”

Peter Gabriel - “San Jacinto”

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10. Roland Juno-106

Year Released: 1984

Original Price: $1095 USD

Current Price: $2,037 USD

Signature sound profile: programmable, six-voice polyphonic, analog, subtractive synthesizer. With its relatively simple voice architecture, it is able to produce luscious soundscapes, rich basslines, strings, pads, pianos, leads and percussive sounds.

Iconic Song Examples:

MGMT - “Kids”

Rick Astley - Never Gonna Give You Up

Eurythmics - “Sweet Dreams”

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11. Teenage Engineering OP-1

Year Released: 2011

Original Price: $1299

Current Price: $1,253 USD

Signature sound profile: Extremeley versatile. unconventional design, engaging AMOLED display, complex synthesis engines.

Used By:

Diplo

Ariana Grande

Tame Impala

Childish Gambino

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Spotify

Apple

•3/15/2022